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5 of the best houseplants for winter and how to care for them
With so many different varieties of houseplants to choose from, it can often be difficult to decide which to get, so weve compiled a list of five houseplant varieties that we think would be great for your home in winter.
Having houseplants around your home is a great way to not only add some color to each room but also to bring innumerable benefits such as purifying the air, reducing stress levels and improving your mood, something which is needed more than ever in the dark and dreary winter months.
1. Succulents
Succulents are one of the most popular types of houseplant for a reason. The small and study flora can adapt to almost any conditions and their size makes them ideal if youre looking for something low-maintenance that can spruce up your home all year round.
2. Schlumbergera Truncate (Christmas Cactus)
Schlumbergera Truncate is the perfect plant for the holiday season as its popularly known as Christmas cactus as it blooms best during the cooler months. Despite being part of the cactus family, this plant is not spiny but it does prefer being in a nice, bright room.
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3. Cyclamen
Cyclamen are a popular favorite with horticulturists as their small size and multiple varieties make them a convenient way to brighten up any indoor space with lots of color. However, they can be prone to rot if they are overwatered and kept in poorly drained soil.
4. Snowdrops
Snowdrops not only look great outdoors but they can add a splash of calming color to our homes over the winter months too. Snowdrops tend to flower outside as spring arrives and the temperature rises, but bringing forced bulbs indoors around September or October means they can bloom a little earlier and flower around January to brighten up the first month of the year.
5. Amaryllis
Amaryllis are an incredibly popular flowering houseplant as their vibrant colors and dramatic petal shape can be truly eye-catching. Grown from bulbs, the plants naturally die back over the summer before re-growing during fall and winter and adding some tomato food as they begin to re-emerge is a great way to encourage lots of flowers to grow.
How to care for houseplants in winter
According to the UKs Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), there are four main tips to ensure that your winter houseplants flourish.
Dont overwater | With lower temperatures and light levels, plants need less water to survive.
Consider humidity | Some plants prefer higher levels of humidity but this can be hard to achieve in winter when central heating dries out the air indoors.
Make the most of sunlight | The low level of sunlight in winter is not only bad for houseplants but even us humans too. Whenever you do get a brighter day, its a good idea to move your plants to a nice, sunny spot so they can soak up as much light as possible.
Be wary of extreme temperatures | Houseplants typically like stable living conditions but this can prove difficult in the winter. Windowsills have the potential to be too cold for some plants while placing them near radiators or fires can provide too much heat. Plants will typically appreciate being placed in a temperate middle ground.
